Microbial enhanced compositions which overcome antagonistic surfactant incompatibility

Abstract

Disclosed are compositions comprising one or more surfactants that adversely affect viability, growth, and/or biological activity of beneficial microorganisms, and particular additives that overcome the adverse effect of the surfactant, thereby facilitating viability, growth, and biological activity of the beneficial microorganism. The additives that can overcome the adverse effect of the surfactant comprise at least one L-amino acid in combination with at least one of (a) inorganic divalent metal salts or (b) monovalent salts, and optionally, at least one carbohydrate, in particular amounts and ratios. Also disclosed is a method for overcoming the adverse effect that particular surfactants have on beneficial microorganisms by combining the surfactants with the particular additives. The compositions and method can be used in a variety of end use applications that employ beneficial microorganisms, including surface cleaning compositions, environmental remediation, and agricultural applications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition for overcoming antagonistic surfactant incompatibility between a surfactant and a live beneficial microorganism, wherein the surfactant incompatibility adversely affects viability, growth, or biological activity of a live beneficial microorganism, the composition comprising:
 (a) at least one surfactant that exhibits antagonistic surfactant incompatibility when in contact with a live beneficial microorganism and adversely affects viability, growth, or biological activity of the live beneficial microorganism;   (b) an additive comprising:
 (i) at least one L-amino acid in combination with at least one of inorganic divalent metal salts or monovalent salts in an amount to provide a weight ratio of additive component (i) to surfactant of 0.2:1 to 1:1; and 
 (ii) optionally, at least one carbohydrate; and 
   (c) water to total 100 wt % of the composition,   wherein, when the composition is combined with the live beneficial microorganism, the additive in the composition overcomes the antagonistic surfactant incompatibility between the at least one surfactant and the live beneficial microorganism, and facilitates viability, growth, and biological activity of the beneficial microorganism.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant (a) is one or more of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alpha sulfonated alkyl esters, alkyl sarcosinates, alkyl glutamates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl betaines, alkyl amidopropyl betaines, alkyl amine oxides, alkyl amine alkoxylates, quaternized alkyl amine alkoxylates, sulfonated alkyl esters, alkyl sulfoacetates, alcohol alkoxylates, EO/PO block copolymers, phosphate ester salts, sulfosuccinates, mono- and/or diglycerides, hydroxy sultaines, or rhamnolipids. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the L-amino acid is selected from the group consisting of histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, proline, and tyrosine. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic divalent metal salt is selected from the group consisting of magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, manganese chloride, iron chloride, copper chloride, zinc chloride, cobalt chloride, magnesium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, manganese sulfate, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, colbalt sulfate, magnesium citrate, calcium citrate, hydrates of any of the foregoing, and combinations of any of the foregoing. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the monovalent salt is potassium nitrate (KNO 3 ), sodium nitrate, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, potassium manganese oxide, potassium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, or ammonium citrate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate is one or more of glucose, maltose, galactose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, molasses, glycogen, or glucans. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein surfactant (a) is one or more rhamnolipids, and the additive comprises the L-amino acid, the divalent metal salt, and optionally the carbohydrate. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein surfactant (a) is one or more rhamnolipids, and the additive comprises the L-amino acid, the divalent metal salt, the monovalent salt, and optionally the carbohydrate. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises 5%-10% by active weight rhamnolipids and 5%-10% by weight additive. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the composition comprises 0.05%-1.0% by active weight rhamnolipids, and 0.05%-1.0% by weight of additive. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein surfactant (a) is an alkyl sarcosinate, and the additive comprises the L-amino acid, the monovalent salt, and the carbohydrate. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the alkyl sarcosinate in the composition is in an amount of 5%-20% by active weight, and the additive is in the composition in an amount of 5%-20% by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the alkyl sarcosinate in the composition is in an amount of 0.05%-1.0% by active weight, and the additive is in an amount of 0.05%-1.0% by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein surfactant (a) is a sulfonated alkyl ester, and the additive comprises the L-amino acid, the monovalent salt, the divalent metal salt, and optionally the carbohydrate. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 14 , wherein the composition comprises 0.05%-1.0% by active weight sulfonated methyl ester and 0.05%-1.0% additive. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising spores of a live beneficial microorganism. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the spores are in an amount of 1×10 7  to 1×10 10 , preferably 1×10 9  to 5×10 9  CFU/g, or in an amount of 1×10 5  to 1×10 9 . 
     
     
         18 . A method for overcoming antagonistic surfactant incompatibility between a surfactant and a live beneficial microorganism, wherein the surfactant incompatibility adversely affects viability, growth, or biological activity of a live beneficial microorganism, the method comprising:
 (a) providing an aqueous composition comprising at least one surfactant that exhibits antagonistic surfactant incompatibility when in contact with a live beneficial microorganism and adversely affects viability, growth, or biological activity of the live beneficial microorganism;   (b) combining an additive with the aqueous composition, wherein the additive comprises:
 (i) at least one L-amino acid in combination with at least one of inorganic divalent metal salts or monovalent salts in an amount to provide a weight ratio of additive component (i) to surfactant of 0.2:1 to 1:1; and 
 (ii) optionally, at least one carbohydrate; and 
   (c) combining the live beneficial microorganism with the aqueous composition before step (b) or after step (b);   wherein the additive overcomes the antagonistic surfactant incompatibility between the at least one surfactant and the live beneficial microorganism, and facilitates viability, growth, and biological activity of the beneficial microorganism.   
     
     
         19 . A method for environmental remediation of soil comprising:
 (a) applying an aqueous composition comprising from 0.1% to 25% by active weight rhamnolipids to the soil to be remediated;   (b) applying a composition to the soil to be remediated, wherein the composition comprises (i) an additive comprising a blend of L-amino acid and divalent metal salt in an amount of 0.1% to 25% by weight of the composition and optionally, at least one carbohydrate in an amount not greater than the weight of the blend of L-amino acid and divalent metal salt in the composition, (ii) live beneficial microbial spores in an amount of 1×10 6  to 1×10 10  CFU/g, and (iii) a carrier to total 100% by weight of the composition.   
     
     
         20 . A microbial enhanced cleaning composition comprising:
 (a) about 0.05% to 1.0% by active weight of at least one surfactant that exhibits antagonistic surfactant incompatibility when in contact with a live beneficial microorganism and adversely affects viability, growth, or biological activity of the live beneficial microorganism;   (b) about 0.05% to 1.0% by weight of an additive that overcomes the antagonistic surfactant incompatibility between the at least one surfactant and the live beneficial microorganism, and facilitates viability, growth, and biological activity of the beneficial microorganism, the additive comprising:
 (i) at least one L-amino acid; 
 (ii) at least one inorganic divalent metal salt or at least one monovalent salt, or a combination thereof; 
 (iii) optionally, at least one carbohydrate; 
   (c) microbial spores in an amount of 1×10 4  to about 1×10 8  CFU/g; and   (d) water to total 100% of the composition.